Week 64 Little Pete

Well, this week could not have gone any quicker. We were able to make baptism dates with a few people and we also found some new people to teach for this upcoming week! Elder Hales and I worked a ton this week. It feels really good to be back working hard. We have been teaching a couple of ladies, Marcelina and Maria, and after attending church 3 times, they feel like they are ready to get baptized. We made baptismal date for them on the 7th of May. We are stoked for their decision to take this step in there life. We have 5-6 good possible investigators that might be ready for baptism next month. To be honest, we are doing so much work, and with the Lord's help and the Holy Ghost we can make this happen. I come home from the day, tired, sweaty, and really dirty from the hot sun we are working in all day. I take 2 - 3 showers a day because of how hot it is here. But, hopefully it is going to cool down soon. We are expecting some rain here in the next couple days. So, I am praying with all my might that it will come and will cool us off a little bit. 

This week I got know my new companion more and to be honest he looks, talks and sounds like a little Pete Andrus. So, that is why the headline for the day is called Little Pete. Hope you get a kick out of this Pete. 

I am receiving, actually both my companion and I are receiving a lot of blessings and miracles from being exactly obedient here in Laureles. It is so awesome to see all the miracles, they like just jump out at you. Its like your in a 3D movie and the graphics are just hitting you in the face. To be honest, at times it can be overwhelming, you can get filled up with so much emotion. But, it is down right dope!  

I am loving here in Laureles and I should be here for awhile, I think. Not what I expected, but I will do what I am asked, follow the spirit and love the people as I diligently work in Poderoso Los Laureles. Love you all. Should have even more exciting news by next week. Hasta Luego!

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Happy Birthday Mom and have a happy anniversary with Dad! 

Week 63 Elias El Profeta

This week was great! Although my companion did not want to work, I was able muster up all  the patience I could find to finish up this week with Elder Munoz. He is leaving this change and I am staying. I loved him, but we had a hard time seeing eye to eye. To be honest it was difficult at times to get along. I learned the importance of patience and trying to see the good in all. I'm not perfect so I know it wasn't just him. I wish him well. (You learn way more on a mission than just about sharing the gospel). Found out who my new companion is, his name is Elder Hales. And the cool part is he is from Danville! California! Si hombre! He lives so close to me and we are going to tear it up in the area. I am so excited to get to work. I have great expectations for this change and I can feel that we are gong to do great things.  I will tell you all about it by next Monday! 

We had a baptism!! Woo-hoo! Elias (El Profeta - nickname) got baptized. It was a wonderful week and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to baptize him.  I know that this decision will change his life. He will be able to get through a lot of hard times and accomplish much. Like us, if he does what he knows is right and follows the commandments, and is obedient, he will see miracles in his life. And I know he can do it, all he has to do is have faith. 

I am so grateful that I am a missionary and the chance I have to serve my God. As I am obedient with exactness, I will receive inspiration and guidance to those seeking the gospel. I am so happy and I am ready for this next change. I am ready for something new. Love you all and I am so happy for all the letters I receive every week because it helps me more than I can ever say.  I only have 9 months left! Love you all. Hasta la próximo semana! 

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Favorite quote from last general conference. 

"You may feel that your life is in ruins. You may have sinned. You may be afraid, angry, grieving, or tortured by doubt. But just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the world, He will find you. He will rescue you. He will lift you up and place you on His shoulders. He will carry you home."

Week 62 Back to Work!

I cannot believe how fast the days and weeks go by.  It feels like a crack of a whip and the week is gone. I was finally able to meet with the doctor and he gave me some pills I should take and some exercises I should do to strengthen my foot and toe.  He said if I do what I am supposed to do, I should be able to be back to full activity in about a month. So, I have doing that and so far I have seen a change. I am back to work as well, Yipee! So, I am really happy about that. 

We now have set date for Elias this Saturday to get baptized! Woo-hoo! We have also been meeting with his girlfriend lately too and she has really been improving ever since. He came to the church to watch General Conference and Stake Conference that we had yesterday. He loved it and he said he believes he is ready to get baptized. We are so excited for him to take this step. And what is even better, is he has been thinking about serving a mission too. So, we were really surprised about that. We will have to see what happens this week. Pray for him.

The best miracle happened yesterday. At the beginning of my mission, me and my companion stopped, stopping by an investigator house that just would not come to church and would not fulfill her commitments in order to get baptized. And so we had to  drop her. But, yesterday we had a stake conference and she was there! What the heck? She told me she came back to church and started taking the lessons with the missionaries again. I was shocked. I m not totally sure she was baptized, but I am going to find out this week. I'm just happy she was going to church. She told me that if it weren't us she probably would not have returned back. But, it is because of the missionaries she had the desire to return. What a blessing it is to be a missionary! 

I had a wonderful week this week and to be honest this might be the last week with Elder Munoz or my area. On the 19th is changes and who knows who is going and who is staying. We will just have to wait and see. But, I can just tell you that this change I have learned a lot about myself and how to work with others. The good and the bad.  Wherever I go and whoever I am with I will do my best. I am so glad I am a missionary and for this chance to serve. I may have health trials, but i'm not going to let that get me down.  Love you all and I am so grateful for all the letters and the inspiration you give me. Talk to you all next week. Hasta Luego!

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen

Week 61 The Big "GC"

Wow, this week was amazing. Especially the last two days. I was hit with so much inspiration during conference I cannot even tell you. I learned so many things. I could not even take it all in. I got to watch all of Saturday's sessions in English, and all of  Sunday was just in Spanish. Watching it in Spanish isn't the same as listening to it my native tongue.  So, I downloaded all of the General Conference talks of yesterday on to my USB today...so I can listen to it again and again and write notes on them. But, man was I hit hard with the spirit in the priesthood session. Man my mind was exploding. Loved it all. Some of the quotes I loved were: 

¨In Gods eyes, the greatest leaders have always been the greatest followers.¨ - Stephen w. Owen

¨There will be times when the path ahead seems dark, but keep following the Savior. He knows the way; in fact, He is the way,¨

¨We are here to qualify ourselves day by day for the positions that our father expects us to fill hereafter¨

If shared all the quotes I wrote from down from conference it would take until next Monday. I am loving my mission. Even though it's hard at times and my health is not where I want it to be. I am trying every day to be like Him and follow His example. I know Christ lives and He is the way, the only way to true happiness.  As we follow His example, we will become examples for others. I love the gospel and its a privilege to share  it with others. There is such power in it. And it is because of the power of the Holy Ghost we have 2 more expected baptisms this Saturday. WHAT A BLESSING IT IS TO SHARE THIS GOSPEL!!!! 

I am not the perfect, but at I am trying . The only thing God cares about is if we are doing our part and we trying our very best, the Atonement does the rest. I am trying to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do.  That is all he cares about and all he wants. I know this to be true. Love you all, have an amazing week. Talk to you next Monday.

Con mucho cariño,

Elder Jensen

P.s. Photo of my new hammock!

Week 60 Not Much to Do :(

Well, this week was one of those weeks where the work is so slow and you do not have much progress. "Semana Santa" here is like a curse for all the missionaries in regards to finding new people to teach. You cannot find anyone in there houses. It's like impossible. We accomplished so little this week. But, with the blazing sun outside, I felt I was dying. It was screaming hot. I could not take it someday, but I was able to get through it. The work was a little depressing though...not being able to teach people is hard. This week finding someone to teach was like finding needle in a huge haystack. But, we were able to make through it, gracias a dios.

I also got to go to the temple this week. I was able to do confirmations for the dead in Spanish! It felt a little weird....I was the person who was confirming kids by the way. I felt the spirit so strong though. I enjoyed every minute of it and will never forget it how it felt. The temple is amazing.

Also the last 2 days of the week, my toe started to hurt again. So, the nurse is going to call the doctor today to see what is going on. Pray for me. 

Lovin' the mission. I am so excited for General Conference this week. I cannot wait for all the inspiration I am going to receive this Saturday and Sunday from our Prophet and the Apostles, as well for my investigators. Talk to you guys later.

Elder Jensen

P.S. Did not take as many fotos this week til the next one!

Week 59 Semana Santa

Semana Santa empiece este semana! Or should I say Easter is this week. This week will probably be the slowest and most unproductive week of the year. Yearly here in Semana Santa it is a very festive time and most people here travel. Whether it be to Copan, San Pedro, Miami, or even Tegucigalpa. So, to be sincere, the work will be very slow and almost no one will be home. But, we will just have to see how this week will go and keep at it.

The past week was amazing. We were able to put 2 new fecha fijas with two of our investigators. Both of them were references by members and they are really positive. I am really excited for them to progress. One of them owns una negocio de baleadas (a baleadas business). So every time we go over to teach we buy some baleadas (thick flout tortilla). Hehehe. And the other one is her boyfriend. They are doing what they are supposed to be doing to progress in the gospel and have been coming to church for over a month now!

Also we had the chance to go visit the Temple yesterday with our recent converts and our investigators so that they could get a feel of the spirit that surrounds the temple and see where they should and want to be

always. It was a very memorable experience because one of our investigators was like "this is where I want to be" and he cannot wait to get baptized and go to the temple. Si hombre! So, we had a great time yesterday.

I am loving it here in Honduras and I know I am supposed to be here. I am so grateful for what I have and I cannot wait to share all of my experiences with you guys when I get home. Love you all. And have a Happy Easter!

Love,

Elder Jensen

P.S. The sun yesterday was super cool. Take a look!

Week 58 Baptisms and Slushies

I love my new area! You may wonder why my title this week is called baptisms and slushies. Pretty weird, huh? Well, its because this area has already 5 baptisms set for this month. I did not have a 1 baptism in the 4 months I was in Roble Oeste. It was a hard area to find people to who wanted to hear our message. I hadn't experiences that on my mission until that area. I am so excited for the work here and the people ready to hear the gospel. I am so ready for the the opportunity to bring these people unto Christ. And we are finding more everyday. I was overcome with joy when I saw our plan for this month. By the way, we have one planned for this Saturday! It is so amazing being a part of the Heavenly Father's work. The slushies part...well there is a recent convert that makes these slushies called Granita and they are the bomb. They are perfect when its hot outside. Again, I am really excited for the work we have to do in this area and the success we will see, I can feel it.

My new companion is Elder Muñoz. He is from Vera Cruz Mexico. He is so chill and he loves to work. He was a little sick this week, but he said that he did not care, he said he wanted to go work. So, I was like alrighty. I have no idea how long I will be here, but all I know is I am going to work my butt off to do all I can. 

Love you all so much and I cannot wait to talk to my family in just 2 months!  All I need to do, like my mom says, is work really really hard and embrace every single moment until the last second runs out of my mission. Cuz, I only got one shot. #YOMO Well, everyone. Hope you all have an amazing week and I cannot wait to tell you what will be the results for this next week to come.

Con cariño,

Elder Jensen

P.S. ONLY 11 MONTHS LEFT!!!